Shul Bulletin

The Bar Mitzvah of Tzvi Yaakov Oster will take place @ Yoec this Shabbos. There will a Kiddush & Farbrengen with Reb Meilach Zwiebel. All all welcome!

Click here for a list of places where one may buy chametz after Pesach.

Congregation Levi Yitzchok invites you to a powerful video presentation and lecture - "Communication is the Key” Educating parents & educators with the tools to listen to our children, so they can empower them to deal with social issues. Presented by the noted educator: Rabbi Avrohom M. Segal - Educational Consultant from Eretz Yisroel. Thursday, 1 Iyar/May 1, 7:30 pm in shul. Click here for more info.

I recently heard* about someone who asked a Rabbi why it is that the Jewish religion seems to obsess over insignificant details. For example - how much matza we have to eat or which spoon was used for milk and which fork for meat, or the correct way is to tie shoelaces. Is this nitpicking what we call holiness? It seemed to this person that this misses the bigger picture by focusing on minutiae and he really wanted an answer. He sent the Rabbi an email but did not receive a reply. After waiting a week he sent it again, then later again, but still no reply. He began to think perhaps he had finally asked the Rabbi a question that he couldn’t answer.

Sometime later he bumped into the Rabbi and complained that he hadn’t received an answer to what he considered to be a legitimate question. The Rabbi answered that I never claimed to have all the answers, but it happens to be that I did answer your question and sent a reply immediately. The fact that you didn't receive it is itself the answer to your question.

When I sent you my reply, I wrote your email address leaving out the "dot" after gmail before the "com". I figured that you should still receive the email, because after all, it’s just one little dot missing. I mean come on, it's not as if I wrote the wrong name or something extreme like that! Why should anyone make a fuss if you differentiate between "gmail" and "gmail.com"? Can it be possible that you didn't get my email just because of a little dot? Doesn't that sound a bit ridiculous?

Then the Rabbi continued, but I know that it really is not ridiculous. That’s because the dot is not just a dot. It has meaning far beyond the pixels on the screen that form it. To me it may seem insignificant, but that is simply due to my ignorance of technology. All I know is that with the dot, the message gets to the right place; without it, the message is lost to virtual oblivion.

It’s the same with the way we learn the Torah and do mitzvos. They have infinite depth. Every nuance and every detail is important, every dot counts.

The Gemara on the pasuk of this weeks parsha Kedoshim says; Hiskadishtem-Make yourselves holy, this refers to washing before bread, mayim rishonim and; V’hayisem kedoshim refers to washing after the meal, mayim achronim. Like the man who asked the Rabbi we learn from here a similar lesson. The Torah is speaking about being holy, what does such a lofty spiritual thing have to do with such a seemingly mundane activity as washing the hands? It’s to teach that kedusha can only be felt when it’s brought into the fine detail. By making sure that there is no chatzitza, to use a towel and wash 3 times completely covering the entire hand each time is how we bring kedusha into our lives.

For us in Chabad this extends to our observances of cholov Yisroel, pas Yisroel and shechita. Both we, and our children have the custom of placing negel vaser by our beds and wearing tzitzis at night. We need to treasure the opportunity we have to but “the ‘dot’ before the com”; Ashreinu, mah tov chelkeinu! When someone is taking care of the details of preparing for a simcha, IT DOESN’T EVEN ENTER HIS MIND to think that ‘nebech’ I have these details to take care of. He is thinking of the great simcha just ahead and all that is connected to it. This carries him along as he prepares. This is even truer and more so with mitzvos and our minhagim.

We don’t rely upon the heter of Rav Moshe for milk, which by the way has been taken out of context. It was never intended for places where you can get cholov Yisroel as Rav Moshe himself clearly stated. We need to ask ourselves what are we taking in from the world that weakens us to the point that we allow ourselves to think in such a way that we misapply a leniency to such an extent. It’s a sign that we need to get back on track.

The Previous Rebbe told the following story on Shevei Shel Pesach 1936. The chassidim of the Mittler Rebbe were asking each other about what it was that the Alter Rebbe wanted to accomplish with chassidus. They came to conclusion that he wanted that us to take all the things in life that are permitted-reshus, and to treat it as if it were required-chova (This means that if someone has an opportunity to use anything for kedusha then he should and must take responsibility to do so [chova] and if he cannot then he should avoid using it altogether, as it says “Kedoshim tehiu-You shall be sanctified” and “Sanctify yourself with that which is permitted”). Later on, the fabrengen reached a lofty level of simcha and the chassidim broke out into dance. In the midst of the simcha, the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek (who was not yet the Rebbe at that time) stopped the dancing and called out the following. “Turning that which is permissible into that which is required-chova” has already been accomplished by our teacher the Baal Shem Tov and the Rav HaMaggid. To get into debt, to take on new responsibilities does not require Chochma, Bina vDaas (Chabad). The Alter Rebbe has shown us the way to pay off the debt, how to use our Chabad to accomplish our avodah in a way that we are not indebted.”

Every one of us, every Chabad Chosid chooses which way to go. Are we influenced (even subtly) by the culture we find ourselves? Does it creep into our thinking to the point that we begin to look upon things similar to that man with his question for the Rabbi? Or do constantly upgrade our attitude of simcha as we follow in the ways of Chabad Chassidus, as we pay attention to the small details as we prepare for the true simcha, the Geula heamitis v’hashleima? It’s not a burden and we are not a ‘nebach’, we are the most fortunate of all. The choice is ours but we cannot fool ourselves into thinking that there’s some safe middle ground because it’s an illusion that does not exist.

Even though kedusha means removed, more like the love and fear of the angels and flying in the heavens. The reality is however that Hashem desires the small stuff, the details. That’s why every specific of life is covered in halacha, right down to cutting your nails, getting dressed with your right side before left and how you tie your shoes! And for Chabad Chassidim this includes all of our minhagim as well. That’s the dot before the com., then the person and his entire being is really connected and then, a spiritual vibration is emailed throughout the universe, all the way to Hashem’s inbox, from where he will send Moshiach and we will all celebrate together. Good Shabbos.

We are happy to announce that our shul will be featuring special guest speaker, world famous storyteller Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Hill. Rabbi Hill will be presenting “Mission Possible: An Actor Returns to his Jewish Roots”, the story of his father, Steven Hill’s, return to Yiddishkeit and the lessons we can all learn from his story. Rabbi Hill will be speaking in our shul this Shabbos at 12:45 pm.

Rabbi Raichik's shiurim can now be found on You-Tube under the keyword "Rabbi Raichik".

Girls! Sign up today for Camp Gan Yisroel!! Space is limited and filling fast.. Early bird special is available for a FIVE more days. Click here for more info.

Pesach Announcements

Ads: The Shul has a web page for members to advertise their goods or services leading up to Pesach. If you want to be featured, please email us your flyer or announcement. Attachments must be in pdf or jpeg format. Note: The shul reserves the right to reject and/or modify any submission for any reason. Click here to see the page.

Maos Chitim: Those who would like to give money for Maos Chitim please go to www.chabadofla.com/Donate, or give a check to Rabbi Raichik.

Selling Chometz: Rabbi Raichik will be available in the Shul to sell your Chometz from 9 to 10 am, and for a half hour after Maariv, or by appointment.

If you are leaving out of state, there is a special mechiras chometz form for a sale that will be done earlier. Rabbi Raichik will accept these forms until Motzei Shabbos (12 Nisan/April 12) 10:00 pm.

Shaimos: Please DO NOT bring your shaimos to shul. There are shaimos services that will pick up for a small fee. The Yeshiva also has a shaimos depository. Shaimos left in the shul ends up in the garbage.

Lockers & Personal Items: Please remember to clean out your lockers of any chometz and remove all personal items from any public areas. ANYTHING LEFT WILL BE THROWN AWAY.

Parking: The city has relaxed some of its rules due to Pesach.Click here for more details.

Matzah: As every year the Shul will help people buy Matzah, for themselves or for Mivtzoim. Please call and order, let us know what you need and when you will be picking it up. (We will provide envelopes and brochures).

Thursday: Farbrengen in Shul for men at 8:00 pm In honor of 11 Nisan - The Rebbe's Birthday.

Please say Tehillim for Sarah Bas Gittel who suffered a series of small strokes and the doctors are still analyzing the MRI to see if anything else is going on, chas v'shalom.

Girls! Sign up today for Camp Gan Yisroel!! Space is limited and filling fast.. Early bird special is available for a ten more days. Click here for more info.

Pesach Announcements

Ads: The Shul has a web page for members to advertise their goods or services leading up to Pesach. If you want to be featured, please email us your flyer or announcement. Attachments must be in pdf or jpeg format. Note: The shul reserves the right to reject and/or modify any submission for any reason. Click here to see the page.

Maos Chitim: Those who would like to give money for Maos Chitim please go to www.chabadofla.com/Donate, or give a check to Rabbi Raichik.

Selling Chometz: Rabbi Raichik will be available in the Shul to sell your Chometz from 9 to 10 am, and for a half hour after Maariv, or by appointment.

If you are leaving out of state, there is a special mechiras chometz form for a sale that will be done earlier. Rabbi Raichik will accept these forms until Motzei Shabbos (12 Nisan/April 12) 10:00 pm.

Shaimos: Please DO NOT bring your shaimos to shul. There are shaimos services that will pick up for a small fee. The Yeshiva also has a shaimos depository. Shaimos left in the shul ends up in the garbage.

Lockers & Personal Items: Please remember to clean out your lockers of any chometz and remove all personal items from any public areas. ANYTHING LEFT WILL BE THROWN AWAY.

Parking: The city has relaxed some of its rules due to Pesach. Click here for more details.

Matzah: As every year the Shul will help people buy Matzah, for themselves or for Mivtzoim. Please call and order, let us know what you need and when you will be picking it up. (We will provide envelopes and brochures).

On many occasions the Rebbe emphasized and explained the importance of 770. It is the place were the Previous Rebbe learned and davened while living his life in this world. The same holds true of the holiness of the Rebbe's room where he spent over 50 years learning davening and doing myriads of activities on behalf of the klal.

The Previous Rebbe said that once as a young child (about 5 or 6 years old) he was in the room of his grandfather the Rebbe Maharash after his histalkus. Suddenly his father the Rebbe Rashab not noticing him entered the room wearing a hat and gartel. With his lips moving and tears falling he took out a kvitel and began reading it, just as it was during yechidus. The Previous Rebbe speaks about this in the first maamar of his nesius. He said that when a tzadik leaves there is a kedusha that still remains in his room that effects the room. He then told the story mentioned above.

Whenever we enter 770 anwhenever we enter the Rebbe's room its best to know this, that the place of the Rebbe has kedusha, and that the kedusha continues to effect. Do we feel it?

There is a story about the Rebbe Rashab and Hershel Gurary. Hershel Gurary was always helping the Rebbe. He merited to by buried right next to him. Once, someone brought three objects, a gartel, a besomim box and one other thing to Hershel Gurary after the war. He claimed that they were authentic holy objects that were the possessions of the Rashal, the Rama and one other great tzadik. Hershel Gurary was thinking that it would be worthwhile to acquire them but he wasn't sure if they were authentic. He brought them into the Rebbe's room, explained his consideration and placed them on the table in front of him. The Rebbe picked up the first one then put it back down. He then wiped his forehead, then picked it up once more and put it back down. He did the same for the second object. He then picked up the third object only once and commented that it was a precious object. Hershel Gurary then asked the Rebbe why he treated the first two objects differently than the third. The Rebbe explained that that when a tzaddik uses an object a mark is left on it that is possible to be felt. I didn't feel any holiness in the first two objects and i thought that perhaps it was because i had a block that made me insensitive to the kedesha in the object. I put it down and wiped my forehead and was "meharher b'tshuva-had thoughts of teshuva". I then picked it up again and still didn't feel kedusha in the object and realized that it was not because of me. As soon as i picked up the third object though, it's kedusha was immediately felt. This is true of the Rebbe Rashab who was able to feel, but for us, we don't always feel even though the kedusha is real and present.

The Rebbe has x-ray vision and can see what is behind things and feel. Once the Prevous Rebbe was with the Rebbe Rashab in Paris. The Rebbe Rashab stopped somewhere in the middle of the street and said that he felt that perhaps someone once davened mincha at this spot. On a second occasion when they passed the same spot again he said that he was certain that someone had davened mincha at this spot.

The Previous Rebbe's chair and his place at the table was set at the Pesach Seder in 770 upstairs after the histalkus. The Rebbe would sit by his side. During tthe first year after the histalkus the Rebbe would answer many who would make requests that he went to the Rebbe's room and read their pidyon, just as before the histalkus during yechidus (aside from the Ohel).

This is why every object that we have from the Rebbe is very special, be it a Tanya, a dollar or a letter, the kedusha did not leave. During the first 12 days of Nissan we do not say tachanun because we are commemorating the special offerings the Nesiim brought for the dedication of the Mishkon. The Mishkon is Hashem's special hub in this world where his kedusha is felt. From there it spreads throughout the entire world. We have, in each of our homes a small Mikdash as well. Whatever we do in our homes, what we say, how we act, the food we eat and the table that we eat upon, all of it is a Mikdash. The kedusha remains, it is not diminished and can be felt. It effects us wherever we are. We receive the power and ability to do this from the Nasi. Through our avoda in our domain we make the entire world a dwelling place for Hashem, and all of this will be fully revealed with the Geula Amitis v'Hashleima.